4th Grade STAAR Reading 2013 - 2015
Reading/Vocabulary Development.
Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:
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Question Stems
4.2 A
Determine the meaning of grade-level
(6) In paragraph 2, the word rearranging means —(2014)
academic English words derived from
(31) In paragraph 1, the prefix mis–helps the reader
Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots
determine that the word misshapen means — (2015)
and affixes
4.2 B
Use the context of the sentence (e.g.,
in-sentence example or definition) to
determine the meaning of unfamiliar
words or multiple meaning words
4.2 E
Use a dictionary or glossary to
determine the meanings, syllabication,
and pronunciation of unknown words
(11) Which word from paragraph 17 helps the reader
understand the meaning of the word assured? (2013)
(27) In paragraph 6, the word detects means --(2013)
(29) In paragraph 4, the word indicates means --(2013)
(37) Which words in paragraph 11 help the reader
understand the meaning of the word collapse? (2013)
(42) In paragraph 52, the word revealing means --(2013)
(14) Which words from paragraph 6 help the reader know
the meaning of distinct? (2014)
(19) What does the word competent mean in paragraph
23? (2014)
(30) Which words from paragraph 3 best help the reader
understand what appropriate means? (2014)
(43) What is the meaning of the word burrowing in line 8?
(2014)
(4) In paragraph 14, what does the word hesitated mean?
(2015)
(10) In paragraph 5, the word practical means —(2015)
(16) Which words from paragraph 2 help the reader know
the meaning of bid? (2015)
(21) In paragraph 7, the word lure means to —(2015)
(41) Which words from paragraph 8 help the reader
understand the meaning of right? (2015)
(1) Read the dictionary entry. Which definition of stand is
used in paragraph 6? (2013)
(1) 1Read the dictionary entry for the word raise.
Which meaning best matches the way the word raised is
used in paragraph 8? (2014)
Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre.
Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural,
historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.
4th Grade STAAR Reading 2013 - 2015
Students are expected to:
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TEKS
4.3
Students analyze, make inferences
Fig 19 D
and draw conclusions about theme
and genre in different cultural,
historical, and contemporary
contexts and provide evidence from
the text to support their
understanding
Question Stems
(13) What identifies this story as realistic fiction? (2013)
(23) What is the message of this poem? (2013)
(41) What lesson does Cara learn from Grandpa? (2013)
(25) What lesson does Marcus learn in the play? (2014)
(2) The reader can tell that “My What Is Showing?” is
realistic fiction because it —(2015)
(42) An important idea presented in this selection is that
—(2015)
Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry.
Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and
provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
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Question Stems
4.4
Students understand, make
(20) The words in parentheses in line 14 emphasize that
Fig 19 D
inferences and draw conclusions
the speaker is --(2013)
about the structure and elements of (21) The doctor’s waiting room is decorated with animals
poetry and provide evidence from
most likely to --(2013)
text to support their understanding. (22) Read lines 17 and 18. The dialogue used in these lines
shows that --(2013)
(40) Which line from the poem shows that the speaker is
not worried about Manga’s behavior upsetting her mother
and sister? (2014)
(41) What is the speaker’s main purpose in the poem?
(2014)
(42) The poet uses lines 1 through 3 mainly to —(2014)
(44) What is emphasized by the repetition of the words “I
wish” in the poem? (2014)
(26) Lines 1 through 4 are important to the poem because
they —(2015)
(28) Read lines 15 and 16 from the poem.
These lines emphasize that the speaker most likely feels —
(2015)
(29) In stanza 3, the reader can conclude that the speaker
—(2015)
4.4 A
Explain how the structural elements (19) Which words rhyme in each stanza of the poem?
of poetry (e.g., rhyme, meter,
(2013)
stanzas, line breaks) relate to form
(39) What identifies this poem as an example of free
(e.g., lyrical poetry, free verse)
verse? (2014)
Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama.
4th Grade STAAR Reading 2013 - 2015
Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and
provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
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4.5
Fig 19 D
4.5
Fig 19 E
TEKS
Students understand, make
inferences and draw conclusions
about the structure and elements of
drama and provide evidence from
text to support their understanding
Question Stems
(38) Read these lines from the play. These lines suggest
that Cara believes the chair --(2013)
(40) Which line from the play supports the idea that Cara
is proud of the work she has done with Grandpa? (2013)
(43) Which quotation from the play best explains
Grandpa’s reason for suggesting that he and Cara work on
a surprise for Grandma? (2013)
(44) Read this stage direction from the play. What does
this stage direction suggest about Grandpa? (2013)
(18) Which of the following best explains why Sam refuses
to play in the tournament? (2014)
(20) How does Ruben contribute to the plot of the play?
(2014)
(21) Which line from the play supports the idea that
Marcus has changed the way he feels about having a
female player on the team? (2014)
(22) The playwright creates a surprise by —(2014)
(23) Sam’s dialogue with Marcus in Scene 2 suggests that
she —(2014)
(24) Which of the following is the best summary of the
play? (2014)
Summarize information in text,
maintaining meaning and logical
order
4.5 A
Describe the structural elements
(39) The stage directions at the beginning of Scene 1 help
particular to dramatic literature
the reader by --(2013)
Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction.
Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and
provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
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TEKS
Question Stems
4.6
Students understand, make
(2) Read this sentence. What are Marvin’s parents most
Fig 19 D
inferences and draw conclusions
likely thinking at this point in the story? (2014)
about the structure and elements of (3) Why does Marvin hope that his parents are listening to
fiction and provide evidence from
what the president is saying? (2014)
text to support their understanding
(4) Which sentence from the story shows that Marvin
does not want to create more problems for his mother?
(2014)
(9) Jen covers herself up before coming into the dining
room most likely because she wants to —(2015)
4.6
Summarize information in text,
(17) What is the best summary of the story? (2013)
4th Grade STAAR Reading 2013 - 2015
Fig 19 E
4.6 A
4.6 B
4.6 C
maintaining meaning and logical
order
Sequence and summarize the plot’s
main events and explain their
influence on future events
Describe the interactions of
characters including their
relationships and the changes they
undergo
(8) Which of these is the best summary of the story?
(2015)
(15) Why is it important to the story that Nathan and Alex
go to the break room for gum? (2013)
(16) What is paragraph 18 mainly about? (2013)
(7) What effect does Marvin’s visit to his friend’s house
have on the story? (2014)
(8) The problem in the story is solved when Marvin’s
parents —(2014)
(3) Jen’s main conflict is resolved when —(2015)
(12) When Alex first tells Nathan that someone is
watching them, Nathan --(2013)
(18) Which sentence shows how the brothers feel when
their father explains what they really saw in the hallway?
(2013)
(5) The conversation between Marvin and his parents in
paragraphs 6 through 12shows that Marvin is — (2014)
(1) Jen’s actions at school suggest that she —(2015)
(6) In paragraph 3, what is the most likely reason Joey
whispers? (2015)
(7) By the end of the story, what can the reader conclude
about Joey and Jen’s relationship? (2015)
(5) Who is the narrator of this story? (2015)
identify whether the narrator or
speaker of a story is first or third
person.
Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction.
Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features
of literary nonfiction and respond by providing evidence from text to support their understanding.
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Question Stems
4.7
Students understand, make
(38) Becky studied her glow-in-the-dark toys most likely
Fig 19 D
inferences and draw conclusions
because they —(2015)
about the varied structural patterns
(39) The author describes events in sequential order
and features of literary nonfiction
mainly to —(2015)
and respond by providing evidence
(40) What effect did the newspaper article about Becky’s
from text to support their
invention have? (2015)
understanding.
(44) Read this sentence from paragraph 5.
What does this sentence suggest about Becky’s father?
(2015)
Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language.
Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how an author’s sensory language creates
imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected
to:
4th Grade STAAR Reading 2013 - 2015
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4.8
Fig 19 D
TEKS
Students understand, make
inferences and draw conclusions
about how an author’s sensory
language creates imagery in literary
text and provide evidence from text
to support their understanding
Question Stems
(14) In paragraph 13, “a nightlight offering comfort from a
bad dream” means that the light makes the boys feel -(2013)
(27) Which line from the poem best helps the reader
picture the speaker’s sandcastle? (2015)
Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History
Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author’s purpose in cultural, historical,
and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are
expected to:
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TEKS
Question Stems
4.10
Students analyze, make inferences
(24) The author wrote this selection most likely to --(2013)
Fig 19 D
and draw conclusions about the
(31)The purpose of this selection is to --(2013)
author’s purpose in cultural,
(12) The purpose of this selection is mainly to —(2014)
historical, and contemporary
(33) Read the following sentence from paragraph 6.
contexts and provide evidence from The author includes this sentence most likely to — (2014)
the text to support their
(18) Why does the author include the information in
understanding
paragraph 1? (2015)
(32) The author wrote this selection mainly to —(2015)
Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text.
Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from
text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
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TEKS
Question Stems
4.11
Students analyze, make inferences
(9) Which sentence from the article supports the idea that
Fig 19 D
and draw conclusions about
early frozen desserts required great effort to make?
expository text and provide evidence (2013)
from text to support their
(10) How were Harry Burt and the man who created the
understanding
ice-cream cone similar? (2013)
(26) Clucas’s observations contribute to the understanding
of why squirrels use snakeskin by --(2013)
(30) The fact that octopuses sometimes move coconut
shells from one place to another is important because it
suggests that octopuses --(2013)
(10) What does Narins’s study of frog calls suggest about
frogs? (2014)
(26) The attendance at Whaley’s first soccer camp
suggests that members of the community were — (2014)
(28) Which sentence from the article shows that
4th Grade STAAR Reading 2013 - 2015
4.11
Fig 19 E
Summarize information in text,
maintaining meaning and logical
order
4.11 A
Summarize the main idea and
supporting details in texts in ways
that maintain meaning
developing soccer skills isn’t the only focus of
Kicking4Hunger camps? (2014)
(32) Which sentence from the selection shows that
Wignall’s project has expanded over the years? (2014)
(14) Which sentence from the selection best shows that
pets are welcome at Barkitecture events? (2015)
(17) Based on the descriptions of Barkitecture doghouses
in the selection, what can the reader conclude about the
people who build them? (2015)
(23) Based on the selection, what is unusual about the
hawks’ nest? (2015)
(8)) Which of these is the best summary of the article?
(2013)
(28)Which of these is the best summary of the selection?
(2013)
(34) Which of these is the best summary of the selection?
(2014)
(24) What is the best summary of the selection? (2015)
(2) What problem did people experience when ice cream
was first made in America? (2013)
(25) Paragraphs 2 through 4 are mainly about --(2013)
(15) Which of the following is the best summary of the
section “Singing with Purpose”? (2014)
(16) Read the diagram. Which of these best completes the
diagram? (2014)
(17) Having a loud call benefits frogs by —(2014)
(27) According to the article, what is one way Whaley
achieves his goal of providing soccer instruction to
children? (2014)
(29) What was one benefit of Whaley winning the
Readers’ Choice Hero of the Year award? (2014)
(31) Paragraph 4 is important to the selection because it
provides information about how the Care Bags project —
(2014)
(11) According to the selection, the main goal of a
Barkitecture event is to —(2015)
(13) What do the details in paragraph 6 explain about
Barkitecture events? (2015)
(19) The selection “Prince of Central Park” is mostly about
— (2015)
(33) According to the selection, a paintbrush can be used
when building a sandcastle in order to —(2015)
4th Grade STAAR Reading 2013 - 2015
4.11 B
4.11 C
4.11 D
Distinguish fact from opinion in a
text and explain how to verify what is
a fact;
Describe explicit and implicit
relationships among ideas in texts
organized by cause-and-effect,
sequence, or comparison
(12) Which sentence from the selection presents an
opinion? (2015)
(6) Harry Burt put his ice-cream on a stick --(2013)
(7) The author organizes this article by –(2013)
(13) Read the diagram below. Which of the following
belongs in the empty box? (2014)
(20) Look at the diagram below.
Which sentence best completes the diagram? (2015)
(25) After the hawks rebuilt their nest, fewer people
complained most likely because —(2015)
(30) According to information in “Building a Better
Sandcastle,” a tall sandcastle tower might fall if —(2015)
Use multiple text features (e.g.,
(9) In which part of the selection can the reader find
guide words, topic and concluding
information about the patterns of frog songs? (2014)
sentences) to gain an overview of the (22) Which section explains why Pale Male was permitted
contents of text and to locate inforto rebuild his nest on the side of the apartment building?
mation
(2015)
Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Text.
Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are
expected to:
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TEKS
Question Stems
4.13
Students understand how to glean
(3) Which of these best supports the title of the article?
Fig 19 D
and use information in procedural
(2013)
texts and documents
(4) What is the most likely reason that the recipe was
included with the article? (2013)
Reading/Media Literacy.
Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in
various forms to impact meaning. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in
increasingly more complex texts. Students are expected to:
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Question Stems
4.14
Students use comprehension skills to (5) The photograph of people around the ice-cream maker
Fig 19 D
analyze how words, images,
suggests that – (2013)
graphics, and sounds work together
(32) The photograph is included with the selection most
in various forms to impact meaning. likely to --(2013)
Students will continue to apply
(11) Which idea from the selection does the first
earlier standards with greater depth photograph support? (2014)
in increasingly more complex texts
(15) What is the most likely reason the author included
the photographs with the selection? (2015)
(43) The photograph included with the selection shows —
(2015)
4th Grade STAAR Reading 2013 - 2015
Reading/Comprehension Skills (Figure 19)
Reading/Comprehension Skills. Students use a flexible range of metacognitive reading skills in both assigned
and independent reading to understand an author’s message. Students will continue to apply earlier
standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts as they become self-directed, critical
readers. The student is expected to:
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Question Stems
Fig 19 F
Make connections (e.g., thematic
(33) What is one difference between the types of animal
links, author analysis) between
behavior described in the two selections? (2013)
literary and informational texts with (34) One similarity between the two selections is that both
similar ideas and provide textual
discuss animals that --(2013)
evidence
(35) Which of these ideas is found in both selections?
(2013)
(36) Both selections suggest that scientists --(2013)
(35) The authors of the two selections probably intend for
the reader to learn how —(2014)
(36) What is one way that Kicking4Hunger is different
from the Care Bags Foundation? (2014)
(37) One way that Whaley and Wignall are alike is that —
(2014)
(38) Kicking4Hunger is different from the Care Bags
Foundation in that —(2014)
(34) The speaker in the poem and the author of the
selection both emphasize the importance of —(2015)
(35) With which statement would the poet and the author
of the selection most likely agree? (2015)
(36) How do “The Sandcastle” and “Building a Better
Sandcastle” differ in their description of sandcastles?
(2015)
(37) Read line 10 from the poem.
Which sentence from “Building a Better Sandcastle”
suggests that experts have a similar concern when
building sandcastles? (2015)